As we revealed last year, Sony is in its sixth year of showcasing its forthcoming electric vehicle at its CES press conferences. The vehicle will be called AFEELA and is expected to be on sale in 2026. This year, a plethora of the newest buzzwords, most of which had to do with artificial intelligence, were utilised in the press conference along with Sony’s software ambitions for its new car, AFEELA.
In summary, the initial specifications of the AFEELA idea included dual-motor all-wheel drive with 400kW (536hp), a 0-100km/h (0-62mph) time of 4.8 seconds, and a maximum speed of 240km/h (149mph). Those are still the specifications Sony is looking for, as far as we know. Price and battery size details are still unknown, but because this car won’t be on the road for another two years, they will undoubtedly be revealed later.
Sony is emphasising the car’s entertainment and sensor systems in order to highlight its electronics prowess. The AFEELA, like almost all new electric vehicles, will be equipped with a large number of sensors for potential autonomous driving applications.
Additionally, Sony believes that because of its background in consumer entertainment, it can offer superior infotainment inside the vehicle. It has displayed interior photographs of enormous monitors in both the front and rear seats, suggesting that it may be possible to get PS5-level performance for gaming applications while driving. It also aims to integrate continuous over-the-air software updates.
Sony has taken steps to demonstrate that it is serious about developing this car, so let’s not assume that this is just an electronics business putting up a pipe dream of a product to get more attention to their CES conference presentation. It already formed Sony Honda Mobility, Inc. in collaboration with Honda. It’s interesting to note that Sony, not Honda, received first honours in the collaboration; this could be a reflection of the Japanese automaker’s resistance to anything electric.
Fresh news on AFEELA
Toshihiro Mibe, the CEO of Honda, was invited by Sony to speak at the press conference. He discussed the alliance and the “once in a century” shift of mobility, albeit he avoided using the word “electric” once.
Subsequently, Sony Honda Mobility Inc. CEO Yasuhide Mizuno took the stage to discuss the in-car software experience. He began by demonstrating the software-defined nature of the vehicle by using a PS5 controller to drive it onto the stage.
However, it also implies that these cars may be more susceptible to software issues than other cars were, at least in the past, before they became so dependent on software.
According to Sony, the car’s software-defined architecture will allow artists to create new in-car experiences, transforming the vehicle into a “digital playground.” It displayed an example game where you could earn points by catching escaping monsters resembling Godzilla accompanying a vehicle in a pretend setting.
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